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Government mandates on how you can charge your phone won't stifle innovation?
by Krkrmfnfmmd 4y ago
Government mandates on how you can charge your phone won't stifle innovation?
- emptyfile 4y agoWas that a question? Of course not. In fact the parent comment even provides an example.
- garmanarnar 4y agoCorrect! In fact it can even help innovation.
- pimterry 4y agoYes, it won't. As parent points out, the EU previously mandated micro-usb support (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_external_power_supply https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_external_power_supply) which worked fairly well, and hasn't stifled the innovation that's resulted in USB-C.
- nulld3v 4y ago> the EU previously mandated micro-usb support No they didn't, compliance is voluntary, just read the linked wiki page. I agree with the point that it won't stifle Innovation though. The swift passing of the USB-C mandate has proven to me that the EU can move quickly, so if a new connector comes along they will be able to switch the law reasonably quickly.
- AlphaSite 4y agoThis isn’t swift I don’t think, we’ve been hearing about this for years now.
- nulld3v 4y agoThis mandate was conceived in 2018: https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/46756/attachments/2/translations/en/renditions/native https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/46756/attachments/2/... I think 4 years is a reasonable time frame. Especially considering they weren't sitting around doing nothing for 4 years, most of it was research and surveys
- httptoolkit 4y agoTechnically voluntary, but every major phone manufacturer (including Apple) committed to it and followed it (although in Apple's case, with a dongle).
- dahfizz 4y agoBut, crucially, they were able to effortlessly move to a better connector when one came along. They were not legally forced to stick with Micro-B. Now they are legally stuck with USB-C indefinitely.
- BurningFrog 4y agoIf you've followed the EU for a few decades, you'd know they occasionally move quickly, but not often, and the movement is rarely in the best direction.
- nulld3v 4y agoThe multiple previous recommendations on mobile phone charging ports passed relatively quickly too.
- BurningFrog 4y agoMaybe some non Europeans are unaware, but the EU handles several other areas than phone connectors.
- 8note 4y agoThe topic at hand is phone connectors -- we have data about how the EU handles them, so why bother using estimates from some other thing?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- imoverclocked 4y ago> Although compliance is voluntary, a majority of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers agreed to make their applicable mobile phones compatible with Europe's common external power supply specification (EN 62684:2010). Is compliance voluntary for this new ruling?
- Mindwipe 4y agoTBF, it was "voluntary" for the old spec too. Everyone agreed to it in writing because otherwise they were told legislation would be swiftly passed. That's not really voluntary.
- dahfizz 4y agoAccording to your link, compliance was voluntary. Its in the second sentence.
- dkjaudyeqooe 4y agoUSB C was designed to be the "last" physical connector, the whole point was standardisation. Now that the market has failed to deliver this, government steps in. In this case it's supporting an innovation. More "innovation" in connectors is what we're trying to avoid.
- ben_w 4y agoWhat exactly is genuinely innovative about the iPhone connector at this point? It's 10 years old, and the only selling point I can see it having over USB (even when it was new) was the rotational symmetry (which is now also possible with USB C, which is what's being mandated).
- BurningFrog 4y agoThe point is that the next connector innovation will have to be ratified by the European Parliament.
- yellowapple 4y agoOr you ship both connectors.
- oplaadpunt 4y agoNo, it doesn't. The technical details are passed as a so called 'delegated act', which defers the power to set the details of acts to the European Commission.[1] They can update this when necessary, and will do so if the USB forum updates to a newer version. I detest all the people who are confidently wrong about these things, it detracts from the interesting steps the EU has taken here. [1]: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:delegated_acts https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM...
- alain94040 4y agoAssuming you are correct, it still means that any startup that has an idea for an innovation in the phone cable space will first need to worry about how to convince the European Commission to approve it. That's quite a road block for a startup.
- frosted-flakes 4y agoEasy solution: add your new innovative charging port in addition to USB-C.
- axlee 4y agoI don't know, did government mandating electricity plugs standards stifle innovation?
- ralph84 4y agoThere are multiple different plug types used within the EU.
- ragebol 4y agoFair point. Those different plugs are standardized though so adapters & travel plugs can be made. I wondered why this has not yet been standardized EU-wide, but of course the cost of doing so would be huge, since those plugs & outlets are built into millions of buildings. Whereas phones and electronics change much faster and can thus more easily be transitioned, I suppose.
- yellowapple 4y ago> the cost of doing so would be huge, since those plugs & outlets are built into millions of buildings You could always grandfather in old construction and only enforce the standard for new construction or renovations.
- saiya-jin 4y agoThey are slightly different but inter-compatible when using only 2-plug (without ground IIRC). Which means basically all non-energy-intense appliances including ie TVs. Heck, even Switzerland is compatible with them all. Notable exception of course are British, but they are not part of EU as we all know too well. It makes life so much easier. I can't understand why anybody would ever oppose this, either vested interest or butthurt ego?
- Symbiote 4y agoIreland, Malta and Cyprus are still in the EU, with British standard plugs. The EU considered this years ago, and decided the switch wasn't worth the cost.